IMF allows Pakistan to purchase 6.2 mln tons of wheat for reserves

provincial governments. The officially announced price of wheat is 3,500 rupees per 40 kilograms and is indicative, based on global market trends and transportation costs. According to Ahmed Umair, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Agriculture, this is not a fixed support rate. The IMF has approved this pricing methodology, which allows for domestic procurement prices to be aligned with international standards. The IMF had previously barred Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments from intervening in commodity markets to minimize distortions that have led to a sharp decline in wheat prices. The IMF’s latest decision to allow limited purchases reflects confidence in Pakistan’s reformed policies, which now balance food security needs with fiscal responsibility. Under the new policy, Punjab province will purchase 2.5 million tonnes, Sindh 1 million tonnes, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 750,000 tonnes, and Balochistan 500,000 tonnes. The federal government will purchase 1.5 million ...